Indian Antiquary Vol 62

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 194

182
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
1 OCTOBER, 1933
(1) After twos benedictory stanzas, Sankara begins the commentary proper with the following sentences :
om ity etad akçaram idam sarvam tasyopavyákhyanam | vedantártha-sára-samgraha. bhůtam idam prakaraṇa-catustayam om-ity-etad-akparam-ity-ady árabhyate ata era na Pythak sambandhábhidheya-prayojanani vaktavyáni yany eva tu vedante sambandhabhi. dheya-prayojanani tány eveha bhavitum arhanti ..........tatra távad om-kara-nir. nayaya pratiamam prakaranam agama-pradhanam átmatattva-pratipatty-upaya-thutam ! yasya dvaita-prapañcasyopažame 'dvaita-pratipatta rajjvám iva sarpádi-vikalpopakame rajjutattva-prati pattih | tasya dvaitasya hetuto taitathya-pratipddanaya dvitiyam prakaranam tatha 'dvaitasyapi vaitathya-prasariga-praptau yuktitas tathátra-darianaya trtiyam prakaranam advaitasya tathatva-pratipatti-pratipaksa-bhalani yani vadántarány avaidikáni teşám anyonya-virodhitvád alatharthatvena tad-upapattibhir eva nirdkaranaya caturtham prakaranam
He states clearly in the first two of these sentences (a) that the work that he is going to comment on begins with the words om ily etad aksaram idam...., (b) that it consists of four sections, and (c) that the work with its four sections is an epitome of the teachings of the Vedanta. In the last five of the sentences cited, he states (1) that the first section explains the significance of the syllable om and the nature of the atman, and consists mostly of propositions ; (2) that the second demonstrates with reasons the falseness of dualism ; (3) that the third shows with reasons the rightness of Advaita ; and (4) that the fourth shows how the very arguments, urged by opponents of Advaita belonging to non-Vedio schools, are mutually destructive and serve only to firmly establish Advaita.?
The words om ity elad aksaram....cited by Sankara form, as can be seen, the beginning of the Mandakya ; and it bence becomes clear that, in Sankara's opinion (1) the Agamą. prakarana began with these words, and not with atraite sloka bhavanti || bahis-prajño vibhur visvo....as believed by present-day pandits of the Advaita school, and (2) that all the four prakaranas have the same author. In other words, it is clear that the twelve sentences comprising the Mandûkya are, in the opinion of Sankara, of the same nature as the verses which, with these sentences, form the Agama-prakarana, and that they have been written by the same person as wrote the 215 karikas.
(2) That the Agama-prakarana began with the words om ity etad akşaram...., and that they were writton by the author of the karikás is, further, made plain by two observations of Anandagiri. When explaining GK. IV. 1, Anandagirl writes : ady-anta-madhya-mangala granthal pracariño bhavantity abhipretya aday om-károccáraparad ante para-devalaprandmavan madhye'pi para-devata-rupam upadestaram pranamati. The words adáv omkanocodranavat used here refer to the om that stands at the beginning of Mapdükya : em ity dad akparum idan.. ... Similarly, when explaining the second stanza, yo visvátmá vidhija-visayan....that oocurs in the beginning of Sankara's commentary, Anandagiri ob. serves: anye tu adya-slokam mila-slobántarbh diam abhyu pagacchanto dvitiya-ślokam bhâsyakára-praritam abhyupayanti | tad asal wttara-blokeşv iva ddye'pi bloke hhapyakıto vydkhyana-pranayana-prasargátom ity etad aksaram ity-adi-bhapya-virodhác ca.
Anandagiri's reference here to other commentators (ifkdkdra) who looked upon the first benedictory stanza, prajildnanšu-pratánaih athira-cara-nikara-tyapibhin.....as 'Lelonging to the original,' and regarded the second stanza only as written by Sankara, is of much interest in this connection. This first stanza is plainly benedictory in character, and strikos
This in nocording to the opinion of Anandagiri. How himaelf however reposted in his Hied on Sankars's bhdpya that there were some Andledras among his predecesor who thought that Sankara wrote ono benedictory stanza cnly.
• i.o., more statemente unaccompanied by ons proving them.
1 And he thus indiontee that the work with its four sections is a unity oonceived and excoutod se cording to a well-arranged plan.